William w



Patented Sept. 6, I898.

No. 6l0,267.

W. W. FERREE.

DRAFT EUUALIZER.

I (Application filed Jan. 27, 1898.)

(No Model.)

lr acljfov UNITED STATES F F ICEo PAT NT WILLIAM WV. FERREE, OF HARDIN,MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. F. FLOYD, OF SAME PLACE.

DRAFT-"EQUALIZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,267, datedSeptember 6, 1898.

Application filed January 27, 1898. Serial No. 668,183. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. FERREE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hardin, in the county of Ray and State of Mis souri, haveinvented a new and useful Draft-F Equalizer, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvements in draft-equalizers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofdraft-equalizers and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficientdevice adapted to be applied to twohorse vehicles and capable ofequalizing the draft between a weaker and a stronger horse.

A further object of the invention is to dispense with the pivot-bolts ofsingletrees and doubletrees and to avoid weakening the latter byperforating them for the reception of such bolts.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View, partly in section, of adraft-equalizer constructed in accordance with this invention and shownapplied to the singletrees and donbletree of a pole or tongue. Fig. 2 isa detail perspective view illustrating the construction of theconnection between the doubletree and the pole. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of therack-bar of the doubletree. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the centralcasing.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

1 designates a doubletree arranged within a central casing 2, mountedupon a pole or tongue 3 and consisting of top and bottom plates 4 and 5and front and rear walls 6 and 7. The bottom plate is provided withsuitable perforations and is bolted or otherwise secured to the pole ortongue, the fastening devices'being preferably located'beyond the frontand rear walls 6 and 7, as shown, in projecting portions of the bottomplate. The

front and rear walls 6 and 7 are curved and present convex faces to thefront and rear edges of the doubletree, and the front wall is providedat its inner convex face with teeth 8, forming a curved rack and meshingwith the teeth of a straight rack-bar 9. The rackbar'9 is bolted orotherwise secured to the front edge of the doubletree, and by gearingthe doubletree with the casing, as shown, the fulcrum-point is shiftedwhen the doubletree swings, making the forward arm or side shorter thanthe other, whereby the rear or weaker horse is given an increasedleverage and the draft between it and the stronger horse equalized, sothat the weather or rear horse can readily draw the doubletree to itsproper position at right angles to the pole or tongue.

The rear wall 7 presents a smooth convex face to the doubletree, and thefront and rear walls form flaring side openings for the casing andpermit a free limited swing of the doubletree.

I By arranging the doubletree in the casing 2, as shown, the pivot-boltis dispensed with, and it is unnecessary to perforate the doubletree forthe reception of the bolt. The strength .The singletree-casings, whichare suitably se cured to the doubletree, are composed of top and bottomplates and curved front and rear walls 12 and 13, the front wall beingprovided at its inner face with teeth to form a curved rack. Thesingletrees are provided at their front edges with straight rack-bars14:, which mesh with the curved racks of the casings 10, and the rearwalls 13 present smooth convex. faces to the rear edges of thesingletree. The singletree-casings are also applicable to the singletreeof a pair of thills and will dispense with the pivot-bolt of the same.

The invention has the following advantages: The draft-equalizer issimple, strong, and durable and adapted to be applied to singletrees anddoubletrees. It obviates the ne cessity of employing pivot-bolts, and itincreases the strength and durability of whiffletrees, as it dispenseswith pivot-bolt openings. It limits the swing of a whiffletree anddispenses with stay straps or chains, and it shifts the fulcrum-pointtoward the forward arm when a whiffietree swings, making the rear armlonger and increasing its leverage, so as to equalize the draft.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

What I claim is- 1. In a device of the class described, the combinationof a whiffletree having a straight rear edge, a straight rack-bararranged at the front edge of the whiffletree, and a casing looselyreceiving the whiffletree and comprising top and bottom plates, a curvedrear wall having a smooth inner convex face arranged to be engaged bythe straight rear edge of the whiffietree, and the front Wall providedat its inner face with a curved rack meshing with the straight rack ofthe whiffletree, front and rear walls being formed integral with top andbottom plates, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a whiffletreeprovided with a straight rack at its front edge, and a casing comprisingtop and bottom plates and curved front and rear Walls, the top andbottom plates being extended beyond the front and rear walls, and thefront wall being provided with a curved rack to mesh with the rack ofthe whiflietree, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. FERREE.

